One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 16
SERMON XVI. Sheweth what Saving Knowledge is in its Concomitants and Effects.
JOH. 17.3.
This is Eternall Life, to Know thee the only true God.
KNowledge you heard is neceſſary to every mans ſalvation: We now come to diſcover what kinde of knowledge this muſt be; and as for the comprehending of Faith under that knowledge, I ſhall not treat of that notion, but referre it till further opportunity offer it ſelf in this Chapter. That therefore the knowing man may not preſently bleſſe himſelf as if his eyes were enough to carry him to heaven, though he hath no feet to walk in Gods waies: I ſhall now manifeſt what knowledge it is, and raiſe this Obſervation,
Obſerv.That knowledge which brings to eternal life, ought to be accompanied with the true and proper effects of it. This is grounded upon the uſe of the word know, which doth denote the affectus and effectui concomitatis, frequently in Scripture; and that this knowledge muſt be ſo here, is plain by that of our Saviour, If ye know theſe things, happy are ye if ye do them, John 13.17. Therefore meer knowledge without doing, is not happineſſe: And this we ſee the very Heathens could pitch upon, that happineſſe did not conſiſt in a ſpeculative knowledge, but in virtuous actions: Yea Ariſtotle obſerved, that a prophane diſſolute life did not corrupt ſpeculative ſciences, as Geometry and the Mathematicks, but it would immediately morall habits: So then, Knowledge with affections and good effects is that which leadeth to eternall life. Hence wicked men are many times ſaid not to know God, becauſe though they have never ſo much ſpeculative underſtanding, yet becauſe by their lives and ungodly waies they diſhonour him, therefore they are ſaid not to know him.
The effects of ſaving knowledge.Now the concomitants or effects rather of this knowledge are of two ſorts, either internall in the heart, or externall in our actions. We will enumerate the firſt and then the later. Saving knowledge hath this internall effect:
I. Internall.1. That it makes a man have a firm and divine immoveable aſſent to Scripture-truths: For if we ſhould have all the knowledge of men and Angels, yet believe nothing, what advantage could it be to us? There may be knowledge meerly apprehenſive, as thoſe heatheniſh Writers, Julian, Porphyrius, and others, who argued and diſputed againſt the Chriſtian Religion; in this they knew what it was, elſe they could not have diſputed againſt it, but they did not believe it to be true. The Phariſees that ſo much oppoſed Chriſt, they knew the ſenſe and meaning of this doctrine but did not believe it; ſo that if knowledge be not accompanied with faith, though we had the higheſt degree of it, yet it would profit nothing. Therefore Chriſtians are not called knowing men ſo much as Believers, that is their frequent title, becauſe the firm aſſent they give to Gods truth is that which is moſt available to ſalvation. Enquire then after thy faith, men of great knowledge are many times great Atheiſts or Scepticks; they can ſay as much for one way of Religion, as for another, and hereupon are alwaies wavering and doubting, but have no determinate fixing of the heart upon God; yea Aquinas obſerveth, that a knowing man hath more temptations againſt his faith then one more ſimple. It's well then, when with thy knowledge thy faith is alſo firm and ſtedfaſt.
2. Then is thy knowledge ſaving, when the main and noble act of the will doth preſently follow, which is to chooſe and take God for our chiefeſt good, and to imbrace the goodneſſe of all thoſe things we know; for the devils they have knowledge enough, called therefore foreign, becauſe of their exceeding great knowledge, yet they are moſt maliciouſly oppoſite to God, becauſe by their wils they do not chooſe and imbrace that which is good. The two main pillars of the ſoul, or the chief faculties thereof are the underſtanding and the will: The object of the underſtanding is truth, of the will is good; Now the underſtanding is to be like a torch or ſtarre to guide the will, and whatſoever the minde diſcovers to be true and good, that the will is readily to receive; ſo that then our knowledge doth attain it's proper perfection, when it prevaileth upon the will and moveth that; the underſtanding is the counſellour, the will is the Queen, if that then be moved to chooſe the good diſcovered, then hath the underſtanding obtained its end: See then how it is with thee, thou knoweſt God and Chriſt, but how, as the chiefeſt good? as to be choſen above any worldly excellency, and therefore thy will cleaveth fully to them; this is rightly to know: While ſomething is done upon the will, till that be bowed and changed, the ſtrongeſt hold ſtands out againſt God. Oh then pray, and again pray that thy knowledge may ſo farre prevail on thy will, that it ſhall renounce all other things to adhere to God only.
3. This knowledge of God muſt draw out thoſe eminent affections of love, joy, delight, and fear of God. You ſee God in the Scripture is made the proper object of all theſe affections, as if we had them for nothing but God; our love, that God will have all, Thou ſhalt love him with all the heart: and ſo for our fear, that is often required, Sanctifie the Lord God, and let him be thy dread: and we are often commanded to rejoyce in the Lord: So then ſeeing God is the proper object of theſe affections, and we may not place them any where but on him, and things relating thereunto, it behoveth us to ſee whether our knowledge do thus kindle and inflame us after God or no. Certainly it's the greateſt reaſon that our knowledge ſhould have ſuch Divine operations, for if we know God as he is revealed in his word, he is there diſcovered to be ſo great, ſo glorious, full of all goodneſſe, that we cannot but give him the ſuperiority in all things.
4. Another inward effect muſt be a melting, ſorrowfull and grieved heart that we have provoked God by our ſinnes: For who can but grieve and lament his folly, when he knoweth how great and terrible a God he hath provoked: Thus Manaſſeh, after his great troubles and afflictions laid upon him, when he had prayed, mourned and humbled himſelf, it's ſaid, Then Manaſſeh knew that God was the Lord: Then he knew, not before, 2 Chron. 33.13. A man then truly comes to know God, when through the apprehenſion of his Majeſty and glorious power, he abhorreth himſelf, is afflicted becauſe of his rebellions: As you ſee when Job had a further diſcovery of Gods greatneſſe, how greatly he debaſed himſelf.
5. A genuine and proper effect of the knowledge of God and Chriſt, is truſt and dependance upon them. This is ſo great a matter, that it's called the juſt mans life, The juſt ſhall live by faith, Heb. 2.4. Now this grace of truſt or dependance is branched into two parts: Firſt. A truſt on God for his protection, care and providence over us: This is the truſt David doth ſo often ſpeak of in his Pſalms; and the Prophet makes him accurſed, that makes not God his truſt, Jer. 17. The rich man truſts in his riches, the idolater in his Idols, the great man in his power, but all theſe ſet up another God beſides the true God. They that truly know God, viz. that he is the Lord of hoaſts, that he is the principall efficient, and all creatures are but inſtruments depending on him both quoad eſſe and operari, will quickly ſee it a ſacrilegious and idololatricall ſinne to truſt in any but the true God, Pſal. 9.10. They that know thy Name will truſt in thee: All our unbelief, diffidence and diſtruſt, all diſtracting cares about theſe things below, argue our want of knowledge of God: Therefore Mat. 5. when our Saviour forbids theſe dividing cares, he ſaith, All theſe do the Gentiles ſeek after; they that know not Gods power and his goodneſſe, they are ſolicitous ſinfully about theſe things. Hence when Iſrael did ſee her vanity by falſe confidences in the creatures, ſee what God ſaith of her, Hoſ. 13.4. Thou ſhalt know no God but me, for there is no Saviour beſide me; and Hoſ. 8.2. Iſrael ſhall cry unto me, My God we know thee. Though therefore knowledge be better then the greateſt duties performed out of ignorant devotion, the ſame Hoſea 6 6. God there deſireth knowledge more then burnt offerings, yet this is but a lame imperfect knowledge, if it breed not dependance on God, as on our heavenly and gracious Father. The other branch of dependance is on Chriſt for Juſtification and Salvation, that is the beleeving on him which our Saviour ſo often promiſeth eternall life to: Oh when our knowledge of Chriſt and the fulneſſe and ſufficiency of a Mediator, makes us to caſt all our burden on him, and to have free acceſſe to the Throne of Grace by his bloud, this is precious knowledge. This is that excellency of knowledge Paul, Phil. 3. counted all things dung unto comparatively. See then what truſt and dependance doth the knowledge of God cauſe in thee; for all thy knowledge, art thou not as full of cares, diſtractions and diffidence, as if God did not rule, as if Chriſt were not the Mediatour, as if there were no promiſes in Gods Word.
6. Then is our knowledge ſaving, when it makes us glorifie God as God, giving the praiſe of all things to him, Rom. 1. This the Apoſtle taxeth the Gentiles withall, that though they had a knowledge of God by the creatures, yet they did not glorifie him according to this knowledge, but they made ſenſible Images of him, and worſhipped wood and ſtone, the work of mens hands, They did not glorifie him as God; there is a great deal in that, To glorifie God as God, is ſo to honour him, as to give him the beſt and the ſupremacy in all things: When our hearts are as much upon the creature as God, or when we would ſerve God and Mamon, this is not to glorifie God as God: When we do any thing not principally and chiefly for God, we do not honour him as a God. Theſe are the inward effects of knowledge.
II. Externall.Now there are outward effects which will neceſſarily follow true and ſaving knowledge, even as the beams of the Sunne do the Sunne, though they are not called externall as oppoſite to internall, no, they both go together; for they that know God, know him to be a Spirit, and that he muſt be worſhipped in Spirit and truth, that all outward duties done without the heart, are but a meer hypocriſie; ſo that theſe outward effects are to be taken as ſtreams coming from a full and precious fountain within, and they are ſuch as theſe.
1. The true knowledge of God doth make a man effectually purge himſelf from all filthy and noiſome luſts. To ſay we know God and yet give our ſelves to ſin, is a lye, and it argueth no truth in us, 1· John 3.6. He that commits ſin hath not known or ſeen God, which is the reaſon why the Prophets attribute all the ungodlineſſe in a Land to the not knowing of God: So our Saviour tels the Phariſees, that all their wickedneſſe was becauſe they did not know him and his Father; and in this Chapter Chriſt ſaith, The world hath not known thee, but theſe have known thee. Epheſ. 4. If ye have been taught as the truth is in Jeſus; and ye have not ſo learned Chriſt. What is this? when we have ſo learned Chriſt, as to put off the old man with the luſts thereof. Never then boaſt of thy knowledge and thy parts, what mortification of ſinne, what cleanſing from thy filth doth it cauſe in thee; if thy Chriſtian knowledge doth not work a Chriſtian life, but thou art bruitiſh and diſſolute in thy life, tremble at thy eſtate, for thou art out of the way to heaven, 1 Pet. 2.20. ſome are ſaid to have eſcaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of God, yet theſe did it externally only. They were ſwine though waſhed, not ſheep, but thou doſt not come thus farre; though thou haſt the knowledge of God, yet thou walloweſt in thy mire, and lickeſt up thy vomit: Thy condemnation will be the greater, becauſe thou knoweſt thy Maſters will and doſt it not. What ſentence then ſhall we paſſe upon all the carnall and wicked waies of moſt men, they know well enough, they underſtand well enough, but becauſe this knowledge hath no efficacy upon their lives, therefore they go in the broad way to hell.
2. Saving knowledge, as it cauſeth an avoiding of ſinne, ſo a ready and willing obedience unto the commands of God. And for this ſake all diſobedient and rebellious ſinners, are ſaid in the Scripture not to know God: They are excellently put together, 1 Theſſ. 1.8. in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, nor obey the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt. What obedience then and conformity to Gods Law doth thy knowledge work in thee? this God looketh at, he careth not for thy head or thy tongue, if he have not thy heart, thy hands, and thy whole life. If ſo be the Apoſtle ſay, that he which doubteth whether ſuch a thing be ſinne, he is damned if he do it, Rom. 14. how damnable is that mans condition, who knoweth and is aſſured that he ſinneth, and yet wilfully perſiſts in it! So that our knowledge is not to be carried only to truths, to what is to be beleeved, and there to ſit down, No, but Rom. 12.2. we are to be transformed in our minde, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God: We are to conſider what is that which is acceptable and well-pleaſing to God, and when we know it we muſt readily fullfill it: Oh that men of knowledge and parts would think of theſe things; Doſt thou that which is well-pleaſing to God? Doth God accept of ſuch a life as thine? Is there not a plain contrariety and oppoſition between Gods will and thy luſts? A man of great knowledge, and alſo great impiety, were he not puffed up with ſelf-flattery, would eaſily ſee the oppoſition between his life and Gods Word, the one is ſtrict, his life is diſſolute; the one calleth to avoid not only ſinne but the appearance of it, but thy life plungeth thee both into ſinne, and the occaſions of it: Oh conſider all thy knowledge and underſtanding helps thee no more then the devils knowledge doth them, they are not able to love or delight in God and his will.
3. The knowledge of God will make a man keep a good conſcience in all things: it will make him take heed of ſinne in ſecret, as well as publique; it will make him do duties in ſecret, as well as openly, for whoſoever is not afraid to ſinne in ſecret, whoſoever neglects private duties and holineſſe, this man knoweth not God, he doth not underſtand that he is omnipreſent, that his eye is every where beholding all things, that darkneſſe and light are all one to him: Oh this is a precious and neceſſary effect of the knowledge of God, when it makes a man cry out with Joſeph, though in the moſt ſecret temptation, How can I do this and ſinne againſt God, Gen. 39.21. Thoſe wicked men incouraged themſelves in their wickedneſſe by this, Doth the Lord ſee, and is there knowledge in the moſt high? Pſal. 73.11. And on the contrary, he that truly knoweth God dareth not be wanton, unjuſt, diſhoneſt, becauſe the eye of God is upon him whereſoever he is. David is much affected with this omnipotence and omniſcience of God, Pſal. 139.2, 4. Thou knoweſt my downſitting, and upriſing, yea every thought thou knoweſt afarre off. How could there be ſuch works of darkneſſe, ſuch ſinnes committed in ſecret that are not fit to be named, but becauſe men do not know God in a right and true manner. By this we ſee there is little true knowledge of God in moſt towns, moſt families, becauſe men live not, as ſenſible of the juſt and revengefull eye of God beholding them alwaies.
4. Where there is a ſaving knowledge of God there is a good and holy uſe made of all afflictions and miſeries that fall upon them. They know they are ſtrokes from God, and they come becauſe of ſinne, that their end is to humble …s and debaſe us under the hand of God; and thus all the godly have done: They have looked up to God and conſidered not ſo much the blow, as the hand that gave it: ſo Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, Job 1.21. not the Sabeans, not the devil, but the Lord: but men that are ignorant of God, they diſcover it in nothing more then in their afflictions; they look only at ſecond cauſes, they minde only the help of inferiour inſtruments, they fret, they rage, they are diſcontented, and thus they think not of God nor their ſinnes that have procured theſe. Conſider thy ſelf therefore under any exerciſes and afflictions, Is thy heart preſently thinking of God? doſt thou ſearch and enquire into the cauſe, what ſinnes of mine have thus offended God? have deprived me of my good things I enjoyed? this is in a ſaving way to know him. Wo be to that man who like Ezechiel's pot hath boiled in the fire of affliction, but his ſcum hath not gone off.
5. A true knowledge of God and Chriſt will make a man readily ſuffer and loſe all when it's required; and if at any time we are unwilling, we love our wealth our life better, it's becauſe we know not the excellency of Gods glory, and what an unſpeakable reward is laid up for thoſe that deny themſelves for him: 2 Cor. 4. This made the Apoſtle ſay, We account theſe light afflictions not comparable to the eternall weight of glory: What made Moſes chooſe the afflictions and reproaches of Chriſt, Heb. 11. rather then the treaſures of Egypt, it was becauſe by faith he ſaw him that was inviſible. The Martyrs were no fools, though their enemies judged them ſo, for they knew how great that God was whom they feared, how able to reward them infinitely above their ſufferings, and therefore their greateſt wiſdom was to loſe their lives, that ſo they might ſave them. It's ignorance of God and Chriſt that makes us unwilling to bear the croſſe he requireth of us.
Why knowledge that is not thus accompanied is ineffectuall.In the next place let's conſider the ground why knowledge if not thus accompanied is ineffectuall.
And firſt, Becauſe knowledge in it ſelf is only a perfection in the underſtanding, and ſeeing that the whole heart is fully corrupted, it muſt be univerſally healed, elſe there cannot be any ſalvation. I pray God ye be ſanctified throughout in ſpirit, ſoul and body, 1 Theſſ. 5.23. Yea this knowledge is but a morall perfection, not a gracious: As we ſee in the devils, who have great abilities in their underſtanding: And hence it is that a man may be very knowing and yet very vicious, becauſe this doth only diſpell ignorance from the minde, it doth not ſanctifie the heart and affections to love and delight in what is good: Knowledge is requiſite to bring in grace, yet knowledge meerly is not grace: So that howſoever it be a neceſſary duty to get knowledge, yet when that is obtained there is a greater work behinde in the cleanſing and purifying of the heart. Praevolat intellectus, ſed tardus ſequitur affectus, with the eye we may diſcern many miles off in a moment, but our feet cannot ſo quickly go thither.
2. Knowledge muſt have practiſe following, becauſe doing is the end and accompliſhment of knowing. It's not knowing the rules of Hippocrates will bring health, unleſſe there be a practicall uſe of them. Hence beleeving is called eating and drinking of Chriſt, John 6. A man that is hungry, though he know never ſo much of excellent meats, yet that will not ſatisfie him, unleſſe he eat. It's a rule Scire malum, non eſt malum, ſo God he knoweth evil, yet this knowledge is not evil; ſo Scire be…um, non eſt bonum: Philoſophers make this diſtinction between the underſtanding and the will; the underſtanding draweth the object to it ſelf, but the will is drawn by the object to it, ſo if I underſtand any thing, I am not in a morall ſenſe that I underſtand, but if I will any thing, or love any thing, I am what I love, Anima ubi ama…, not ubi anima.
3. Knowledge meerly ſpeculative will not ſave, becauſe Religion lieth moſt in the affective part: Knowledge is deſired as a prerequiſite, but the power and ſweetneſſe of it lieth in the hearty imbracing of what we know. Hence Divines ſay, our eternall happineſſe in heaven is initially and radically in the underſtanding, but formally and compleatly in the will: Oh then know that all the while Religion is but in thy head, and thou haſt it out of books, and by hearſay, thou haſt but the ſhadow of it, the ſubſtance and ſweetneſſe of it lieth in the cordiall imbracements and enjoying what we know.
4. Knowledge without the effects of it is ſo farre from ſaving, that it condemneth the more. He that knew his maſters will and did it not, was beaten with more ſtripes, Luk. 12.48. What makes the condemnation of thoſe Chriſt preached to greater then of the Sodomites the worſt of men, but becauſe they ſinned againſt more knowledge?
Ʋſe of Inſtruction,Ʋſe. How vain a thing it is to boaſt of knowledge and learning, if an holy life doth not follow it: As Abſalom was hung by the hair of his head he gloried in, ſo will the knowledge of thy head damn thee. Auſtin ſaid, ſuch knowing men go quick to hell; oh there are too many ſuch, that have much knowledge, but no grace, that know the Scripture ſpeaking againſt groſſe ſins, yet they wallow in them. The hotteſt flames in hell are for a knowing wicked man.
Ʋſe of Exhortation, to put all thy knowledge into practiſe: If I know what faith is, let me exerciſe faith: If I know what Chriſt is, let me obey him; All knowledge that makes thee not more godly, that brings thee not into nearer communion with God, is to be ſuſpected; if it puff thee up, if it make thee conceited, then 1 Cor. 8. Paul ſaith, Thou knoweſt nothing as thou oughteſt to know. Be not a Gnoſtick; oh that it might be ſaid, Ye know God, or rather are known of God, Gal. 4.9.